Huck Finn 3: 47-66

1.) “Yes- en I’s rich now, come to look at it. I owns mysef, en I’s wuth eight hund’d dollars” (57).

Be happy with what you have. Jim has very little, but he has hope for the future. He is not disappointed by his failures, because he learned from them. Frustration and anger will get you nowhere. Jim is optimistic because he has hairy arms and a hairy chest, and his superstition says that anyone who possesses those traits will be rich. Jim does not underestimate the value of his life. Life is a precious gift and nothing is more valuable. As Dorian Gray learned, “what does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and loses his own soul?” (Wilde 220). If you don’t have a soul, you have nothing. Jim has a soul and he has faith. This is all someone ever needs.

2.) “You said it was the worst bad luck in the world to touch a snake-skin with my hands. Well, here’s your bad luck! We’ve raked in all this truck and eight dollars besides. I wish we could have some bad luck like this every day, Jim” (62).

Huckleberry Finn opened his mouth a little too soon. He needs to be careful or his sarcasm and cynicism will get him in trouble. He and Jim were lucky to find money and items from a house. Instead of being grateful for what they found, Huck acts surprised because he thought he was going to have bad luck. Huck is normally extremely superstitious, but only because that is what Jim tells him. This shows once again Huck is still young and easily influenced by others. As it turns out, they suffered bad luck a couple days later, but not because he touched a snake-skin. Superstitions are not always real. This experience should have taught Huck a lesson. Be careful what you say and if you mock and ridicule others you will be punished.


Vocab. Words:

1.) Calico: a plain-woven cotton cloth printed with a figured pattern, usually on one side.
“There was two old dirty calico dresses” (61).

2.) Reticule: a small purse or bag, originally of network but later of silk, rayon
“a reticule with needles and pins and beeswax and buttons and thread and all suck tuck in it” (61).